Cloud OBS for IRL Streaming
A cloud OBS is OBS Studio running on a server instead of your own computer. Your phone sends its camera feed to the server, OBS adds scenes and overlays there, and the server streams to Twitch, Kick, or YouTube. Because the server stays connected, a lost phone signal does not end the broadcast.
This page covers how a cloud OBS works, the ways to get one, and when a streaming server without OBS does the same job with less to maintain.
How a cloud OBS works
The setup moves the always-on part of the stream from your phone to a server with a stable connection.
Your phone sends one feed
An app such as Moblin or IRL Pro sends your camera to the server over SRT, SRTLA, or RTMP. The phone only encodes and uploads.
OBS builds the program on the server
OBS Studio runs on the server with your scenes. Browser sources add chat, alerts, and widgets, the same way they would on a home PC.
A switcher reacts to your connection
A bitrate switcher such as NOALBS changes to a low-bitrate scene when your upload weakens and to a "be right back" scene when it stops.
The server streams to the platform
The server holds the connection to Twitch, Kick, or YouTube, so the broadcast continues while your phone reconnects.
The same idea works with OBS on a home PC and a relay in front of it. Moving OBS to a server removes the dependency on your home computer and home connection. For the other server types, see IRL streaming server options.
Three ways to get the result
Two of them run OBS in the cloud. The third reaches the same outcome for most IRL streams without OBS.
Run OBS on a server you rent
Rent a cloud server, install OBS Studio, an SRT or RTMP ingest, and a bitrate switcher, then control it over a remote desktop or the OBS WebSocket. You get full control for the price of the server. You also own the setup, the updates, and any problem that appears mid-stream.
Use a hosted cloud OBS service
A provider runs the OBS instance, the ingest, and the switcher for you, and gives you a dashboard for scenes and settings. There is no server to administer. You still build and maintain your scenes and sources, and you pay a subscription for the instance.
Use a streaming server without OBS
A streaming server can keep the platform connection open, show fallback content, add a chat overlay, and multistream as built-in features, with no OBS instance behind it. There are no scenes to build. You give up OBS plugins and scene collections.
How to choose
The deciding question is whether you need OBS itself or only what OBS is being used for.
Choose a cloud OBS if
- • You rely on OBS plugins or an existing scene collection
- • Your stream uses many scenes with alerts, widgets, and custom layouts
- • A moderator or producer switches scenes for you remotely
Choose a streaming server without OBS if
- • Your main goal is to stay live when the signal drops
- • A chat overlay and fallback content cover what you show on screen
- • You want nothing to build or maintain between streams
How Streamrun fits into this
Streamrun is a cloud streaming engine, not a hosted copy of OBS. It takes RTMP, SRT, or SRTLA from Moblin, IRL Pro, OBS, or any other encoder and keeps your stream live with fallback content when your connection drops.
Streamrun Go is the ready-made setup for creators streaming to up to two destinations. It includes disconnect protection, a chat overlay, device switching, and screens for breaks and the start of your stream. Streamrun Pro is for custom workflows, with an editor, HTML overlays, and independent encoding for each destination.
You can also combine them. OBS on your own computer can stream into Streamrun like any other encoder. See the OBS setup guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a cloud OBS?
Yes. A cloud OBS is OBS Studio running on a server instead of your own computer. You can rent a server and install OBS yourself, or pay a hosted cloud OBS service that sets it up and gives you a dashboard to control it. Your phone or camera sends its feed to that server, and OBS streams the finished program to Twitch, Kick, or YouTube.
Do I need a cloud OBS for IRL streaming?
No. What keeps an IRL stream online is a server between your phone and the platform. A cloud OBS is one kind of server for that job. A relay feeding OBS on a home PC, or a streaming server with built-in fallback content, also works. Choose a cloud OBS when you want OBS itself: its scenes, plugins, and browser sources.
What is NOALBS?
NOALBS is an open-source tool that watches the bitrate of your incoming stream and switches OBS scenes automatically. When the bitrate falls it switches to a low-bitrate scene, and when the feed stops it switches to a "be right back" scene, then back to the live scene once you reconnect. Most cloud OBS setups for IRL streaming rely on it or on a similar switcher.
Is Streamrun a cloud OBS?
No. Streamrun is a cloud streaming engine, not a hosted copy of OBS. It covers what most IRL streamers use a cloud OBS for: fallback content when the source drops, a chat overlay, multistreaming, and a vertical output. Streamrun Go is a ready-made setup with those built in. Streamrun Pro has an editor for custom workflows with HTML overlays. If you depend on OBS plugins or an existing OBS scene collection, a cloud OBS is the better fit.
Can I stream from Moblin or IRL Pro without a cloud OBS?
Yes. Moblin and IRL Pro send SRT, SRTLA, or RTMP to any server that accepts it. Point the app at a streaming server that keeps the platform connection open and shows fallback content when your signal drops. Streamrun accepts all three protocols, and both apps can import the Streamrun stream URL and key directly.
Can I keep using OBS with Streamrun?
Yes. OBS on your own computer can stream into Streamrun over RTMP or SRT like any other encoder. You keep your scenes and plugins in OBS, and Streamrun adds disconnect protection, multistreaming, and a vertical output after it. What Streamrun does not do is run OBS for you on a server.
Related
IRL Streaming Server Options
Self-hosted relays, hosted cloud OBS, and managed options compared.
IRL Streaming Setup
Equipment choices and a first-stream checklist for streaming from a phone.
How to Stream Without Disconnects
Why streams drop on mobile connections and which fixes address each cause.
BELABOX and Streamrun
How connection bonding and a cloud streaming engine fit together.
Stay live without running OBS in the cloud
Point Moblin, IRL Pro, or any encoder at Streamrun. Your stream stays live with fallback content when your connection drops, with a chat overlay and multistreaming built in.